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Gordon Spice
|birth = 18/04/1940http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Spice |debut = Brands Hatch 1965 |entries = 138 |champs = 0 (3rd 1980) |wins = 42 |teams = Equpie Arden Britax-Cooper-Downton Gordon Spice Group}} Gordon Spice is a former British Saloon Car Championship driver and entrant, whose career spanned over 20 years. Background Spice made a name for himself in sports cars in the early to mid 1960s, competing at the age of 24 in his first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1964.http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Gordon-Spice-GB.html He moved on to other projects, before turning his attention to the BSCC, when he got himself an Austin built Mini Cooper S, and began competing at the end of 1965. BTCC History In 1965, Spice competed in his first race, competing at Brands Hatch.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1965%20BSCC.html An impressive second place rewarded his efforts, in a race when he came close to taking a debut victory. Spice returned in 1966, competing from the third race onwards in a Downton Engineering prepared (although privately entered) Mini Cooper S.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1966%20BSCC.html After missing the first two rounds, Spice scored three points finishes through the rest of the season, including two impressive drives to the podium. Spice got enough funding to allow him to compete for a full year in 1967, a season which saw him claim five podiums, and a grand total of 24 points, double what he had scored the previous year.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1967%20BSCC.html Arden vs Downton The unofficially official team known as Equipe Arden gave Spice a drive in 1968, giving him the reins of a Mini Cooper S 970 in Class A.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1968%20BSCC.html After three races, Spice rediscovered his form enough to take his first podium in the small engine class (upsetting the Hillman Imps of the Alan Fraser Racing Team for the first time), but would suffer from three retirements in a row. After recovering from this to take third at Silverstone, Spice then claimed his first two BSCC victories, as he ran away to victory at Oulton Park and Croft in Class A. 30 points attracted the eye of Downton, who teamed up with Cooper and Britac for the following season.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1969%20BSCC.html in an attempt to catch the Broadspeed boys in 1969.]]The Britax-Cooper-Downton team paired Spice with Steve Neal, as they went head to head with the British Layland Motor Corporation team. Despite an early season win, Spice and Neal were outperformed by the Ford Escort 1300 GTs of Team Broadspeed. Despite this, Spice enjoyed a mid-season revival, as he took two wins, one of which was a dead heat with future team mate Chris Craft (the pair crossed the line at Mallory Park after 18 minutes and 35.6 seconds of racing). Come the end of the year, Spice beat Neal to second in Class B, with Arden tempting him back for 1970. Spice would claim another two wins for the team, but would not appear until the fourth meeting of the season.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1970%20BSCC.html After scoring 44 points that year, Spice left the championship to focus on other projects. The Return Despite a one-off appearence in 1974 (in which Spice would retire his Chrysler Hemicuda), Spice was not seen on the grid until the start of 1975, when he began his association with the Ford Capri for which he is famed.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1975%20BSCC.html Wilshart's Garage tempted Spice back to the grid a decade after his first race to drive for them, as Spice claimed victory on his second debut. Another five wins followed, although his other commitments, mainly in Formula 5000, prevented him from attending several races. It was in Formula 5000 that Spice suffered the biggest crash of his career, which left him unable to drive for several months (similar to the crash suffered by Peter Arundell a few years earlier), meaning his BSCC race seat was left open through to the end of the season.http://forums.autosport.com/topic/99014-any-information-on-gordon-spice-spice-engineering/ Spice returned at the start of 1976, and proved he had lost none of his speed.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1976%20BSCC.html Four wins, including one on his return, combined with four other podiums gave Spice fourth in the standings, as well as his first class championship, before Wilsharts left the championship at the end of the year. During the winter, Spice decided to create his own team, bringing a number of investors under the name Gordon Spice Group, and bought the Capri's owned by Wilsharts.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1977%20BSCC.html He continued to show his natural speed, as he claimed another four wins on his way to fifth in the standings. Blowing His Own Trumpet Spice replaced the aging Capri II with a new Capri III, as well as purchasing a second car for Chris Craft (his new team mate). Six wins for Spice gave him the edge over Craft, as he claimed his third class title in a row, as well as fourth in the final standings. He repeated this feat in 1979, claimed the Class D title, and fourth overall with exactly the same points tally.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1979%20BSCC.html for a spin at Brands Hatch in 1980.]]Craft left the team (and the championship) at the end of 1979, with Andy Rouse joining Spice at the newly rebranded Gordon Spice Racing for 1980.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1980%20BSCC.html Rouse looked to have got the better of his more experienced team mate, claiming victory at the first race after a race long duel, but Spice recovered to have his best ever season, claiming his fifth straight Class D title, and third in the final standings. 1981 and 1982 yielded Spice his final two victories, as his results fell away. In 1983, Spice began experimenting with Group C Endurance Racing, missing large chunks of the championship. His final race came in 1984, a fourth place at Snetterton, in a Toyota Celica Supra run by Team Toyota GB.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1984%20BSCC.html Spice moved on to focus on Endurance racing after 1984, taking his team with him. BTCC Record A table containing 's best results in the BTCC. The figures after the information about the car used indicate 's finish in each race at that meeting (in their class). * Spice only received seven points for this victory, as he finished in a dead heat with Chris Craft.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1969%20BSCC.html References Images *http://f3history.co.uk/Racingpics/silvgp69/silv69_supp.htm - Spice Mini 1969 *https://www.flickr.com/photos/antsphoto/5570488725 - Spice Capri 1980 References Category:Drivers